National Child Labour Project Schools Are Giving Slum Children A Chance At Having A Bright Future

IWB Post

June 12, 2018

Targeting slums, particularly in Krishna district of Vijayawada, the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Schools have as many as 600 children studying in its 16 schools. They are being run by the National Child Labour Project (NCLP), also known as Special Training Centres (STCs) and what’s more is that more 50% of these children are girls.

“We are running the schools mostly in slums and in SC/ST colonies, for providing education to the poor and migrant families. The strength of the YSR Colony school is about 100, which is the highest among all NCLP schools,” said Krishna district Project Director (PD) D. Anjaneya Reddy.

“The capacity of each school is 50, and our focus is on never enrolled children in slums, industrial areas such as quarries, brick kilns, dropout children, migrants and minors caught during child labor drives. We have 35 teaching staff and special attention is being paid to girl child education,” the PD said.

All students are being provided with vocational training, mid-day meal, a stipend of Rs 400 per month and medical aid. Apart from studies, extracurricular activities are also arranged for them, something they actively participate in, said NCLP field coordinator B. Prasanna.

“We are participating in all government programmes such as ‘Badi Pilustondi’, ‘Ammaku Vandanam’, ‘Swachh Bharat’ and the anti-child labor drives. Six hundred students have been mainstreamed in the last few years from NCLP Schools, and they are pursuing higher education,” Mr. Reddy said.